Iodine for plant-based babies. Where does it come from, how much do they need, and why does it matter? Here’s everything you need to know about this important mineral, plus recommended sources of iodine for vegan kids.
Nutrition experts say that an appropriately plant-based diet can be absolutely safe and adequate for all ages and stages.
While we wholeheartedly agree, there are some nutrients that can require a little more effort to incorporate when your baby’s diet doesn’t include animal products, like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Iodine is one of the nutrients that can fall by the wayside on a vegan diet, but luckily there are some easy ways to make sure your babe is getting enough of this essential nutrient.
What is iodine?
Iodine is a mineral needed by the body to make thyroid hormones, which control metabolism and support bone and brain growth.
The primary sources of iodine in the standard American diet include:
- Fish and seafood
- Dairy products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Breads and cereals
- Iodized salt (Pink and Himalayan salts are not iodized)
While fruits and vegetables can also provide iodine, but the amount depends on the fertilizer used to grow them as well as the composition of the soil.
If you don’t get enough iodine, your body cannot produce enough thyroid hormone. In pregnancy, this can lead to birth defects. Children who are deficient in iodine can experience cognitive delays and lower than average IQ.
The first sign of iodine deficiency is often the appearance of a goiter, which is an enlarged thyroid gland, located on either side of the neck.
How much iodine do kids need?
Iodine is needed in fairly small amounts, but it’s important to be aware of how reliably your baby’s needs are being met.
Baby’s under 1 year old will receive all of their iodine needs from breast milk or formula.
Below are the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for iodine for kids:
- 0-6 months: 110 mcg
- 7-12 months: 130 mcg
- 1-8 years: 90 mcg
- 9-13 years: 120 mcg
- 14-18 years: 150 mcg
Best iodine sources for vegan kids
While iodized salt is one of the most widely available sources of iodine, children under the age of 1 year should not be given added salt in their diet. This can be stressful for their developing kidneys.
It’s also important to be aware that processed and packaged foods frequently contain salt, but it is rarely iodized, making this foods a poor source of iodine on any diet.
As we mentioned, fruits and veggies can contain some iodine, but it’s hard to tell how much as the amounts can vary significantly depending on many factors.
Additionally, sea vegetables like seaweed and kelp are often emphasized as good source of iodine, but again, these sources are not always reliable or consistent.
As such, we recommend the babies and children on a vegan diet take an iodine-containing supplement to meet their needs. Most multivitamins will contain iodine.
For some of our recommended iodine-containing multivitamins for kids, download our free supplement guide.
Iodine for plant-based babies, and most people in general, is often a forgotten part of a healthy diet. To make sure your baby is getting enough, try incorporating some of the mentioned sources of iodine for vegan kids.
Like this post? Send it straight to your email
Enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus, we’ll send you our free 5-day mini-course on Pediatric Nutrition!
Chime In: What other questions do you have about iodine?
If you enjoyed this post, check out some of our others:
- Non-Dairy Calcium-Rich Foods for Babies
- Plant Sources of Iron for Babies
- Supplements for Vegan Kids
- Vitamin B12 for Plant-Based Kids
For more guidance around supplementation for vegan children, get your free copy of our supplement guide.
MR says
I buy dulse flakes and add them to my babies meals as well as to our pink salt to make it “iodized”. Do you think this is enough for her my toddler? we use it in lunch and dinner meals.
alexwhitney says
It’s hard to say. You should speak to your pediatrician about it.
Mike says
The supplement that you recommend contains 125mcg/drop – more than the RDA for all age groups under 8. Is this safe?
alexwhitney says
Hi Mike– the Mary Ruth’s supplement is the one we like as it’s a smaller liquid amount and therefore can be titrated– which is what we recommend. So, if one drop contains 125mcg, then we recommend adding in two drops to a small amount of water, then dividing that water in half and giving one one day and the other half the next. We know this is messy and annoying– we also like multivitamins that contain iodine. If you find a smaller iodine liquid, let us know!
Mike says
Oh, interesting. If the 1 year old is still breastfeeding and mom consumes adequate iodine, is an iodine supplement needed at all?
Mike says
Is iodine even needed if 1 year old is still breasfeading (2-3x/day) and mom consumes adequate iodine?
Here is a lower dose brand that is used by Karin Gibson, btw: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Iodine-Plus-Potassium-Iodide/dp/B004FR2CGE/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=liquid+iodine+plus&qid=1606321919&sr=8-5
alexwhitney says
Thank you, Mike! We will update our supplement guide and include this one in there. If 1 year old is still breastfeeding, then they likely don’t need an iodine supplement. They will once they are weaned, or a reliable source of iodine in the diet.
Annika says
I saw your recommendation to Mike to put in two drops of Mary Ruth’s supplements into water then dividing to give over two days.
Cant you just give one drop directly into their mouth? I have two kids 3 and 6, curious if it would be the same as adding to water.
Thanks!
alexwhitney says
You can give it directly into the mouth!
Paula says
Hello,
I just purchased Renzo’s Picky Eater Multi with iron for my toddler. The dosage recommended for his age contains 75 mcg of iodine.
Previously I was giving him 100 mcg daily, but now that he is 2 and a half years, I’d like to give him everything in one.
Would 75mcg be enough? If I add one drop of the liquid iodine supplement that I have, he would get 50 mcg more, meaning that he will be getting a total of 125mcg, and I am not sure if that’s too much for him.
Thanks in advance,
alexwhitney says
Hi Paula, we’d likely just give the picky eating multivitamin and then use iodized salt at home instead of adding additional drops.
Kelli says
Do you have a multivitamin that you recommend that includes the 90mcg of iodine?
alexwhitney says
We wouldn’t recommend the full RDA of iodine in a multivitamin and instead recommend taking ~1/2 and getting the rest from food.
Kelli says
Would it be ok if we served one drop of the Mary Ruth, which would be 125mcg to a 1 yr old? Does the body discard extra iodine?
alexwhitney says
The body does not discard extra iodine and too much iodine can be harmful. Think of iodine like a goldilocks nutrient– you need just the right amount, not too much or too little. The RDA for a 1 year old is 90 mcg per day, and the upper limit only 200 mcg. Therefore, if you are going to rely on iodized drops then we’d recommend giving 1/2 the RDA (not possible with Mary Ruth’s) or give that amount every other day in addition to iodine-containing foods. Iodine is in plant-foods, just not as rich as dairy, seafood or eggs. And, the amount can vary based on where the food was grown and soil conditions. Here is a good table on where iodine is found in the diet: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/#h3
Christina Flynn says
My daughter just turned 1yrs old, so I’m adding iodine (in addition to b12, vitamin D) in the form of a liquid supplement added to her soy milk. We are fully vegan and don’t use salt in our cooking (we use a small amount of miso if we add salt). Is it okay if my daughter receives 100mcg per day of iodine and no other iodine source? The iodine is in a liquid form that was listed on your supplement guide and has 50mcg per drop and I’d give my daughter 2 drops per day.
I also read through the study you posted on iodine. In the study it says that soy and cruciferous foods can block/prevent the absorption of iodine. Should we be concerned if we consume lots of soy (soy milk, tempeh, tofu) and broccoli, cauliflower and kale?
Thank you!
Plant-Based Juniors says
Hi Christina. Yes, soy and cruciferous foods can be a problem IF iodine intake is inadequate. For a 1 year old, the RDA is 90 mcg; yes, those drops can work if you aren’t using iodized salt, consuming seaweed often or dairy/eggs, other main iodine sources.